A conservative candidate from Hollywood who has raised no funds is pushing a long-shot bid to unseat incumbent Rep. Adam Schiff with a promise to slash the size of the federal government.

Republican Phil Jennerjahn is promoting a small-government platform that includes eliminating the federal departments of Energy, Labor, Agriculture, Transportation, Education, Interior and Commerce.

"Our government is here to print our money, fight our wars and defend our freedom," Jennerjahn said. "It's not their job to be meddling in every human transaction."

Schiff, who has been in Congress since 2001, doesn't seem too worried. He's raised more than $1.2 million for his re-election, is running in a solidly Democratic district, and said he doesn't even know that much about his challenger.

This campaign season, Schiff said he wants to continue his emphasis on education but also focus on the economy and energy.

"I want to get Americans back to work again," said Schiff, "and one of the keys is to make this country, once again, a manufacturing powerhouse."

The district stretches from Sylmar through the east San Fernando Valley and to the Hollywood Hills. Schiff has represented the same general area over the last decade, but his district has changed from the 27th to the 29th and now the 28th through the redistricting process.

Schiff said he wants to continue to work on providing manufacturers incentives because innovation isn't enough to boost the economy if "the next iPad isn't being made in the United States."

"It's key to ensuring the quality of life for our kids and their kids," he said, adding that his focus on the economy is related to his passion for education.

"We're not going to be able to compete with Third World countries on paying workers less. The only way to compete and win in a global market place is to have the most productive and innovative workforce," he said. "It's the competitive advantage that we have, but we won't be able to keep that up if we don't improve our schools and maintain access to higher education for all Americans."

This isn't Jennerjahn's first try at public office. The former Army reservist and Wisconsin native ran for Congress in the Culver City area two years ago and tried for Los Angeles mayor in 2009.

He prides himself as being "on a scale of 0 to 100, a 90 in terms of how conservative I am." That political stance not only earned him the state Republican Party's backing, but he also gained the support of the conservative American Independent Party this year.

"I want to get rid of all those federal departments because they're duplicative. We don't need federal ones when these issues can be handled on a local basis," he said. "There are thousands of bureaucrats, and I want them all out of jobs so that taxpayers don't have to pay for their salaries."

Further, in an effort to cut taxes, Jennerjahn wants to privatize education to take the financial burden off voters without children or not in school.

"My taxpaying dollars pay for other people's schools and I just don't think that's right," he said.